Ride the Divine Wind

This adventure is designed for the Cyberpunk 2020 game and is based on material found in
R. Talsorian Games’ Pac Rim sourcebook. While this supplement can provide detailed
background material on Japan (the country in which this adventure is set) in the year 2020, it is
not necessary to have the book to play Ride the Divine Wind.
Ride the Divine Wind sees the player characters used as unwitting pawns in a get-rich-quick
scheme. It all starts innocently enough, with a search for a runaway teenager who has joined a
gang of bosozoku (“reckless-driving tribes”). But there’s more at stake here than just a missing
kid. Millions of yen and a radical new technology that could change the face of the transportation
industry may also hang in the balance.
This adventure can accommodate a number of character types. As written, the characters are
a team of detectives (solos and freelancing cops) who are hired by a wealthy J apanese executive
who wants to find his ru naway daughter. This team could also include techies and netrunners.
Alternatively, the characters might be friends of the runaway, young rockers or school chums
who want to find their friend before the father’s “hired goons” do. Street types that the daughter
has dealt with in the past (fixers, techies, rockers and netrunners) might also be motivated to help
out an old friend. The gamemaster should set this friendship p in advance by briefly introducing
the daughter to the characters before this adventure begins. Since she’s from a wealthy family,
maybe she helps one of the characters out with a “pay me back when you can” credit loan.
Finally, a media team might want to find the girl so that they can get an exclusive scoop.
Since the daughter ran from the lap of luxury to the uncertain existence of a bike gang, it’s the
perfect “riches to rags” story.
The alternative set-ups listed above require the gamemaster to create the team of non-player
characters that is hired by the father, and to work the actions of this team into the events
described below.

STORY BACKGROUND
Kinuko Sekiguchi was always too individualistic foi- her own good. First, it was the brightly-
colored pockets and extra buttons on her school uniform. Then came the light tattoos and spiked
hair. In no time she was neglecting her studies and hanging out at the ge-sen (game center) with
the bad youths.
Her father, a middle-management executive with Yamaha International Cybercycle Systems
(YICS), tried to talk sense into her. “If you continue on this course,” said Naotomo Sekiguchi,
“you will surely fail the university entrance exams and shame this family. We have enough of a
burden to bear already.”
This was a veiled reference to his wife’s suicide, which took place three years ago. The cause
was Naotomo’s infidelity a fact Kinuko only recently learned. Her father throwing her, mothees
death in her face was too much for Kinuko. She lashed out at him, calling him an adulterer. The
result was a stony silence, as Naotomo buried himself in his work. Unable to cope with her
father’s sudden indifference toward her, Kinuko ran away from home.
She found the love she was looking for in the arms of Shiro Toyomura, a member of the
Musha Bashiri (“Running Soldiers” motorcycle gang. Shiro at first saw Kinuko only as a pretty
plaything. But when he learned that Kinuko’s father oversaw a research lab at YICS where
cybernetic motorcycles were designed and built, he decided to use her to impress the ganis
president. He pressured Kinuko into stealing her fathees mag-key and entering the lab. The plan
was for her to steal high-tech motorcycle accessories.
Security was tight, but Kinuko had made infrequent visits to the lab before and was
recognized by the workers. She was able to sweet-talk her way past the guards. Inside the lab,
she found a completed “concept bike” – a secret motorcycle prototype that would be the basis for
next year’s models.
Kinuko had been fitted with a vehicle link two years ago, when her father gave her a Yamaha
CuteScoot to ride to school. She now used this interface to access the concept bike’s control
systems. Ar she revved the nearly-silent engine, the thrill of being one with such a powerful
street bike overwhelmed her. Kinuko decided then and there that she would keep the bike, rather
than give it to her boyfriend. Stealing it would allow her to enter the gang on her own terms.
\Vhen Kinuko wheeled the sleek-looking concept bike into a parking stall outside the ge-sm
where Musha Bashiri hung out, the gang members were suitably impressed. Shiro tried to claim
credit for the theft, but Kinuko refused to let him. Speaking her mind led to their first fight. Shiro
broke up with her then and there, but Kinuko was allowed to join the gang.
Eventually, Shiro realized that he really did love Kinuko. But it was too late; she had already
become the girlfriend of his chief rival, fellow gang member Hitoshi Yamada. Yet Kinuko still
has a soft spot for Shiro. Her indecision as to which of the two young men she likes,6est is sure
to cause some friction in the gang.

THE YAMAHA KAMIKAZE

The motorcycle Kinuko stole is known as the Yamaha Kamikaze. Although it is a concept
bike, the only significant technological improvement it offers is an improved muffler design that
allows it to run almost silently. Otherwise it is a normal motorcycle albeit one with a sleek look,
designed for speed.
A “dual engine” design provides the Yamaha Kamikaze with the power of the typhoon or
“divine wind’ for which it is named. Operated primarily on electrical power (8 hours of travel
per one-hour fastcharge), it also features a secondary CHOOH2 engine that can accelerate it to a
top speed of 250 kmh at a mere thought from its rider (an acceleration of 50 kmh/phase). The
bike’s small CHOOH2 tank is good only for about two hours’travel at moderate speeds.
The name Kamikaze was chosen because of its association with the suicide pilots of World
War II. This is a marketing ploy designed to attract Japan’s rebellious youth; glamorizing the
tragic deaths of these 20th century airmen has become a popular fad.
The motorcycle is highly maneuverable (maximum maneuver speed of 150 kmh). It is only
lightly armored (SP10) and relatively delicate (SDP20). It’s not a bike you’d want to dump too
many times.

NAOTOMO’S PLAN
Naotomo Sekiguchi was understandably furious to learn that his own daughter was behind
the theft of the Yamaha Kamikaze concept bike. Anger and shame were quickly followed by a
well founded fear that he would lose his job. Such is his standing at Yamaha International
Cybercycle Systems, however, that he has convinced his superiors to let him personally handle
the recovery of the bike. He hires a team (the player characters) at his own expense to track it
down and to bring his daughter home.
Although he pretends to be concerned for his daughter’s welfare, Naotomo is so outraged by
his daughter’s actions that he no longer cares what happens to her. Ultimately, it becomes clear
that his instructions to “go softly and use caution” come more out of a concern for recovering the
bike intact than out of any fear of what might happen to his daughter. Naotomo knows that, even
if he recovers the bike, his corporation will be forced to fire him as a result of his daughters
transgression. He will be blacklisted, unable to get a decent job anywhere else.
Out of desperation, he has hatched a scheme. The first step involved planting information in
the YICS lab’s computer files that suggests that the Yamaha Kamikaze contained a unique
design feature that would revolutionize the automotive industry: a micro-battery that never needs
replacing and is capable of holding enormous power in a lightweight package. (Conventional
automotive batteries are bulky and must be replaced every three to five years.)
The next step was to call an impromptu press conference that hinted at radical new
developments in the YICS lab without mentioning any specifics. Naotomo knew that his
competitors would try to hack their way into the lab’s computer files, where they would find the
false information he had planted.
The final step was hiring the characters then telling others in the industry “in strict
confidence’ about the bike’s theft and YICS’ hush-hush efforts to recover it. He knows this will
confirm the micro-battery’s value in the minds of his competitors.
As soon as word “leaks out’ about the amazing new micro-battety, Yamaha International
Cybercycle stock will go through the roof. (It’s already doing this when Naotomo hires the
characters.) Naotomo, like all loyal managers who believe in the company they work for, owns
large amounts of this stock. He plans to dump it and realize a healthy profit long before the
motorcycle is recovered and his ruse is revealed. The rival corporations (and stock purchasers)
will realize that they have been had but not by whom. Playing the role of the innocent, aggrieved
father, Naotomo can pocket the rewards and will never need to seek employment again.

MUSHA BAHIRI GANG MEMBERS

Int 6 Ref 6 Cool 8 Tech 6
Luck 4 Attr 5 MA 6 Emp 4

Skills: Special Ability: Gang Rank +2 to +6 (heitai); +7 (fukucho); +8 (socho).

Athletics +4; Awareness/Notice +3; Basic Tech +2; Brawling or Martial Art +3; Dodge &
Escape +3; Education & General Knowledge +2; Expert: Battle Fan +4; Expert: Motorcycle
Repair +4; Hide/Evade +3i Intimidation +5; Leadership +1 to +2 (heitai); +5 to +6 (fukucho and
socho); Melee +4; Motorcycle +4; Personal Grooming +3; Streetwise +4; Wardrobe & Style +4.

Cyber: Basic processor; interface plugs; vehicle link; various fashionwear (e.g. skinwatch,
light tattoo, shift-tacts, techhair); nasal filters (versus smog).

Equipment: Motorcycle (Kundalini Shiva Cyberbike, Yamaha Scorpion, Honda Microjet)

with customized paint job and accessories; knife or battle fan; motorcycle repair kit; video/audio
tape player; sleeping bag. Some gang members have stolen cell phones, while others (those still
on speaking terms with their families) have Trauma Team International cards.

Musha Bashiri are a gang of approximately fifty high-school and university drop-outs from
middle and upper-class homes. They roam the city of Tokyo and its suburbs on motorcycles that
were originally gifts from their indulgent parents (although many of the parts are hot). Some of
the gangs members have broken off all ties with their families, and a handful were tossed out on
their ear for causing shame to their families by preferring to hang out with their friends, rather
than cramming for university entrance exams. Others are on better terms and make regular visits
home to beg for money or a home-cooked meal.
The Musha Bashiri are a typical example of a bosozuoku gang. They ride an assortment of
different motorcycles, but all are painted in brilliant colors and are decorated with the gang’s
slogans, painted in kanji characters. The gangers themselves are a mixture of Japanese tradition
and rebellion. They wear baggy, Western-style pants and T-shirts, but when riding strap on thick
plastic masks that cover their nose, cheeks and jaw. These colorful, grimacing masks are replicas
of the lacquered iron masks worn by samurai warriors in battle.
Those few gangers who do wear helmets burn incense in them before wearing them, just as
ancient soldiers burned incense in their helmets so that their heads, if decapitated, would smell
sweet.
The average Musha Bashiri gang member is lightly armored, at best (leather paiits and
jacket; SP 4). A few carry knives, and the leader and his two lieutenants are armed with
somewhat unreliable, home-made zip guns. Their Handgun skill is +2. (Zip Guns: Type P; WA -
1; Con P; Avail P; Dmg 1d6+1; #Shots 6; ROF 1; Rel UR; Range 50 m).
Among the other members, the weapon of choice is a seemingly innocent sensu (fan) whose
ribs end in razor-sharp points. To use this specialized melee weapon properly, extensive training
is required. (Warrior’s Fan: WA + 1; Con P; Avail R; Damage 2d3; Rel VR; Range l m.)
Toshizo Koyanagi, a university drop-out, is the socbo (president) of the gang. Competing for
the spot of second in command, orfu6cbo, are Shiro Toyomura and Hitoshi Yamada. Each is
constantly trying to outdo the other in daredevil riding feats on his motorcycle, either to impress
the club president or to impress Kinuko, whose affections they are both vying for. These stunts
usually include striking a mei (a dramatic Ka6kistyle pose) while the motorcycle zooms over
rough, dangerous terrain.
As yet, no females have made it into the upper echelons of the gang. But a number are
included in the ranks of the gang’s betai (soldiers).
At night, Toshizo and his vice-presidents lead the Musha Bashiri on their noisy excursions.
Sometimes the gang roars through a quiet suburban neighborhood in pairs, one member
concentrating on driving the bike while another, sitting behind waves a red flag that bears the
gang’s colors: a white fan with Musba Basbiri written in 6nji across its opened face. At other
times the gang becomes more violent, riding their motorcycles into shops to commit armed
robbery. The gang also likes to crash house parties in suburban Tokyo, especially if the partiers
have access to Smash or other soft drugs.
By day, the gang hangs out at Otaka Ge-sen, one of Tokyo$ many gaming arcades. Doffing
their masks, they blend in with the other teens who frequent the place; only the bikes parked
outside reveal that the Musba Basbiri are within. Often members will sleep in these
relatively safe environments, rolling out their sleeping bags in an empty virtual booth.
Suitable first names for male gang members: Jun, Keishi, lssei, Takaki, Taro, Tomoyuki.
Suitable first names for female gang members: Miyuki, Mika, Ayako, Reiko, Shinobu,
Kyoko, Marina, Ikuko.

STARTING THE ADVENTURE

Unless the game master is running a campaign that is already set in Japan, the first challenge
will be to get the players to that country. One of the easiest ways to transplant the characters is
with the lure of easy money. Japan has a thriving film industry that is always on the lookout for
non-Asian actors particularly beefy characters who can play the “tough guys” or perform stunts
in action films. The industry is also looking for netrunners and techies for its computer graphics
and special effects departments.
The players are lured to Japan by a lucrative employment offer from the Three Lions Film
Company. Their flight to Japan is paid upf ront, but once they arrive in the country the film offer
falls through. Three Lions has gone into receivership and the picture has been canceled.
Embarrassed that the deal has gone sour, the characters’contact offers alternative
employment. A personal friend (Naotomo Sekiguchi) is looking for skilled operatives to perform
a job that must be handled discreetly. The money is just as good as the film deal, and the client is
willing to pick up the tab for the expensive Tokyo hotel that the characters are booked into. He is
also willing to pay for Japanese-language chips for characters who have neural processors.
Since the characters have three weeks to kill before their return flight, they might as well make a
little pocket money.
Naotomo Sekiguchi meets the characters in a noodle bar in downtown Tokyo. He introduces
himself as an executive with Yamaha International Cybercycle Systems, but does not tell the
characters that he is the manager of YICS’ research and development lab. He offers them 3,000
Eurodollars each, plus expenses, if they can bring his daughter back home and recover a
motorcycle that she stole.
Naotomo gives the characters a school picture of his daughter that is two years out of date. It
shows a rather plain-looking girl in a school uniform. He tells the characters that his daughter ran
away from home three months ago, and that she has been hanging out with a bosozoku gang. He
doesn’t know the gang name, but can describe its “colors” its members wear red jackets that
have a white fan painted across the back. A few weeks ago, Naotomo saw his daughter climbing
onto one of these gang members’ motorcycles outside a ge-sen. The motorcycle sped away
before Naotomo could cross the street to talk to Kinuko. He doesn’t remember the name of the
arcade, but knows it was located near the Harajuku train station. He explains that the Harajuku is
an area of fast-food outlets, fashion stores catering to teens, and arcades. Nearby Yoyogi Park is
a popular hangout for “anti establishment” kids.
Naotomo adds that, four days ago, Kinuko broke into a Yamaha showroom and stole a
motorcycle. He explains that it was a very expensive machine, and that he will lose his job unless
it is recovered in one piece and returned to YICS. He describes it as white with a World War II
era rising sun painted on the fuel tank.
Naotomo pays the characters one-third of their fee up front (in yen, exchanged at 150 to the
Eurodollar), explaining that another third will be paid when his daughter is brought home, and
the final third when the stolen motorcycle is recovered.

WEAPONS RESTRICTIONS
Firearms and knives with blades longer than 30 cm are illegal in Japan. If the characters are
foreigners who have enteredjapan legally, any illegal weapons carried by the characters will have
been seized by customs. To acquire a handgun through the black market, a character must make
a Streetwise skill check at a difficulty level of 25. To acquire a knife, the difficulty level is 15.
The purchase takes place in Tokyo’s Shinjuku (Kabukiza) district, stronghold of the Yakuza, or
Japanese mob. Prices are two to three times those in America. Electronics equipment may be
purchased in Akihabara, Tokyo’s “electric circus.”
If the characters are instead Japanese citizens, only legitimate police officers who are actively
working on cases under the jurisdiction of the National Police Agency will be allowed to carry
firearms. These weapons will be issued by the Japanese police force. Non-standard weapons are
not permitted.

LANGUAGE AND SOCIAL PROBLEMS

Unless the characters speak fluent Japanese (Know Language skill level 6+), they’re going to
have problems communicating with those around them. They may also face problems if they are
obvious foreigners.
A poor command of Japanese affects the following skills: Interrogation, Intimidate (if only
verbal threats are involved), Oratory, Streetwise, Human Perception (if relying upon tone of
voice and word choice), Interview, Seduction, Social, Persuasion & Fast Talk, Perform (acting or
singing), and Library Search (the character must also read Japanese). The penalties are as
follows:

Know Language Skill: … Penalty:

+1 (can’t read Japanese) … -5
+ 2 (can’t read Japanese) … -4
+3… -3
+4… -2
+5… -1

The alternative is to speak with the Japanese in English. To determine how well a Japanese
nonplayer character speaks English, roll 1d10-2. This is the characters’ Know Language
(English) skill. A negative result means that the character does not speak English.
If a conversation is carried out in English, the above penalties apply, unless the non-player
character is fluent in English (Know Language skill level 6+). At a skill level of 8, the character
speaks English like a native, with one of the following a ccents: American, Australian, British,
Canadian, Irish, New Zealander, Scottish, South African.
A player character’s degree of success in a social situation also depends upon whether that
character is a native-born Japanese, a nikkei-jin (an ethnic Japanese born and raised outside of
the country), or a keto (foreigner). Native-born Japanese get a + 3 bonus to all Empathy and Cool
skill skill checks (except Resist Torture/Drugs). Nikkei-jin get a -1 penalty, while keto get a -3
penalty. These bonuses and penalties are cumulative with the penalties for language listed above.

TRACKING DOWN MUSHA BASHIRI

Downtown Tokyo has hundreds of gaming arcades fifteen of them within a five-block radius
of the Harajuku train station alone. Its streets are filled with motorcycles and scooters of every
description many of them ridden by young people wearing colorful clothes, including red
jackets.
If the characters talk to the kids who hang out at any of the ge-sen, a successful Streetwise
skill check will provide the necessary information to track down the bosozoku gang. Information
is cumulative (e.g. on a result of 30 read the character everything listed below).

Result 10: A bosozoku gang frequents this part of town. It has a couple of dozen members
who ride fancy tanshas (motorcycles) and wear weird looking masks.
 Result 15: The bosozoku gang whose emblem is the white fan is called Musha Bashiri. Its
leader is a ronin (university drop-out) named Toshizo. The gang hangs out at a ge-sen on Maiji-
dori Avenue.
Result 20: After Toshizo, two of the more important gang members are Shiro and Hitoshi.
The two have been arguing a lot lately over some girl. The name of the arcade they hang out at is
Otaka Ge-Sen.
Result 25: Musba Basbiri gang members fight with warriors’ battle fans. A few of their
members also carry zip guns.
Result 30+: One of the new gang members, a girl named Kinuko, stole an experimental
motorcycle worth a lot of money four days ago. The bike is parked outside the Otaka Ge-Sen
gaming arcaderight now.

CHECKING WITH THE POLICE

The characters can also gain the above information from the two National Police Agency
officers who staff a “police box” two blocks away from the Harajuku train station, on
Omotesanda Avenue. These officers can provide the information listed above, but do not know
about the stolen bike (the theft was not reported to police) and do not recognize Kinuko’s name.
She is not listed on the police database as a runaway, since she was never reported missing.
If the characters think to ask about the theft of a motorcycle from a Yamaha showroom four
days ago, they can learn that no such crime was reported.
Hacking into the NPA database (there’s a dataterm in the police box) requires an Interface
skill check of 20+ to get around the passwords. Getting inside the police box itself requires a
Pick Lock skill check of 15+.

National Police Agency Officers

Int 8 Ref 7 Cool 6 Tech 6
Luck 5 Attr 4 MA 7 Emp 7
Body 6 Save 6 BTM -2

Skills: Special Ability: Authority +6. Athletics +5; Awareness/Notice +6; Basic Tech +2;
Brawling +5; Education +7; Electronic Security +2; Expert: Law +5; Handgun +6; Human
Perception +5; Interrogation +6; Intimidate +4; Melee +5; Shadow/Track +4; Streetwise +5.

Cyber: Skinwatch; neural processor with police datatenn link; smartgun link; nasal filters
(versus smog). Some have grafted muscle (Body 8; BTM -3) or Sandevistan Speedware.

Equipment: Light armor jacket (SP 12); nylon helmet (SP 20) with built-in police radio;
Towa Type 13 handgun with one extra clip; nightstick; flashlight; 10 sets plastic handcuffs.
(Towa Type 13 Police Pistol: Type P; WA +2; Con J; Avail P; Dmg 2d6 + 3 (10 mm); #Shots
12; ROF 2; Rel VR; Range 50 m.)

AT THE OTAKA GE-SEN

Otaka Ge-Sen is one of three arcades on Meijidori Avenue. When the characters arrive, a
total of 21-30 (20+ 1d10) Musba Basbiri are present. Most are inside playing arcade games (or
sleeping in virtual booths), but four will be lounging outside the ge-sen, smoking cigarettes
and eating junk food. They keep a close eye on the gang’s motorcycles and immediately confront
anyone who shows too keen an interest in them.
On an Awareness/Notice skill check of 15+, the characters notice a motorcycle parked
outside the ge-sen that matches the description of the stolen bike. The Musha Bashiri gang
members can be spotted by the colorful plastic samurai masks that either hang from their
belts or are stuffed in their pockets. Only Hitoshi Yamada (Kinuko’s current boyfriend and one
of the gang’s two fukuchos) wears the gang colors: a red satin jacket embroidered with a white
fan. The other gang members wear normal (albeit unconservative) clothes.
Kinuko is inside the ge-sen, playing a game. She doesn’t look a bit like her school picture.
Since it was taken, shes dyed her hair a bright orange and implanted light tattoos in her cheeks
that resemble neon blue “freckles.” To spot her in the crowd (there’s close to 200 kids in the ge-
sen), the characters must make an Awareness/Notice skill check of 20+. Otherwise, they’ll have
to ask questions.
A non-gang member has only a 20% chance (1-2 on a 1d10) of knowing who Kinuko is. The
kid will be suspicious of adults asking questions, however, and will only point her out if the
character makes an Interrogation, Intimidate, Oratory, Interview, or Persuasion & Fast Talk skill
check of 15+. All Musba Basbiri members know who Kinuko is, but characters must make the
above skill checks at 20+ before a gang member will talk.
If the characters are young enough, they might pose as university drop-outs looking to get
into the gang. They can use this ploy to get background information on Musha Bashiri, either
from the gang members themselves or the kids who know Kinuko but had better know enough
about motorcycles to carry on an intelligent conversation. If the characters are accepted at face
value by the gang, they are invited to come to an abandoned pier in the Harumi district that night
and perform a few motorcycle stunts there. If the gang likes what they see, the character might
be invited to become a member.
To bring Kinuko home again, the characters are going to have to use a combination of guile
(to lure her away from fellow gang members) and brute force. If the characters tell Kinuko that
they have come to the arcade to take her home, she absolutely refuses to go-with them. If any
force is used in an effort to remove her from the ge-sen, she immediately screams for help. A
total of 1d10+10 gang members come to Kinuko’s aid, attacking the characters using Martial
Arts skills and (if need be) battle fans and knives.
For Kinuko’s statistics, use the Typical Musha Bashiri Gang Member. She is a heitai (Gang
Rank +2; Leadership +2). She carries a knife rather than a battle fan (she doesn’t know how to
use the fan yet), and her Martial Art skill is Judo.
If a fight breaks out at the ge-sen, the two officers from the neighborhood police box arrive
within a few minutes to try and break things up. They also respond if they see Kinuko
being dragged away by the characters. If a fight escalates to the point where weapons are
being used, the officers call in reinforcements. If the police arrive, the gang members scramble
for their motorcycles and roar away.
The gang’s two lieutenants (Shiro Toyomura and Hitoshi Yamada) are also at the arcade.
Both are carrying their zip guns. If the characters quietly observe the kids at the arcade,
eventually Shiro and Hitoshi get into an argument.
“Kinuko must decide once and for all which of us she wants as her boyfriend,” one yells.
“No!” the other shouts back angrily. “Kinuko can’t make up her mind. Let her motorcycle
decide it.
“Hai! Tonight at Harumi Kurabashi. We decide it there.”
 A short time after this argument, all of the Musha Bashiri gang members leave the arcade.
They get on their motorcycles and drive away. If Kinuko has disappeared (been captured by the
player characters, for example) another gang member hot-wires her bike and drives it away.

STEALING THE YAMAHA KAMIKAZE

The Yamaha Kamikaze can be started up by inserting a magnetic key (shaped like a
triangular spike) into its ignition. From there, the bike is controlled cybernetically, a
character must have interface plugs or a vehicle link to ride it. Any character with a Motorcycle
skill of 1+ can drive the bike, but maneuver rolls (skill checks) are required to perform the
following actions: Swerve: 10+; Wheelie: 10+; Tight turn: 15+; Hard Brake: 15+; Short Jump
(up to 3 meters): 15+; Hard Acceleration (using CHOOH2 engine): 15+; Rotate/Bootleg Turn:
20+; Longjump (up to 6 meters): 20+; Extreme Jump (more than 6 meters): 25+.
For each 50 kmh the bike is traveling over its maximum maneuver speed of 150 kmh, add +2
to the difficulty number listed above. Some of the modifiers listed in the Solo of Fortune
sourcebook may also apply (+5 for an oil slick, +3 for heavy rain or insufficient light, +2 for
gravel, + 1 for a downhill grade, and +2 to +6 for a wounded or injured driver).
Hot wiring the bike requires an Electronic Security skill check of 15+; fortunately there’s no
vehicle alarm since it’s just a concept bike. It can be wheeled away without starting the engine,
but a single character pushing the bike moves at half the normal movement allowance (two
characters pushing it together move normally).
Stealing the motorcycle from in front of the Otaka Ge-Sen is going to be tough. The four
gang members out front immediately attack anyone who tries this, and at the same time yell for
help. A total of 1d10 gang members come running from inside the arcade, arriving on the third
round of the fight.

AT THE PIER
At night, the Musha Bashiri gang rides out to Harumi, an industrial area in the Port of Tokyo.
Here, at the abandoned Kurabashi Pier, gang members try to outdo each other with motorcycle
stunts. The rough pavement and large obstacles make for a dangerous course, while sloping
ramps provide a raised plaiforrn from which the other gang members can watch, cans of Smash
in their hands.
The characters can locate this hangout either by overhearing the argument at the ge-sen, or by
asking non-gang kids in and around Otaka Ge-Sen where the Musba Basbiri have gone. There is
a Io% chance (a 1 on a 1d10) that any kid will be able to name the Kurabashi Pier. As before, the
kids are suspicious of adults asking questions, however, and will answer only if the character
makes an Interrogation Intimidate, Oratory, Interview, or Persuasion & Fast Talk skill check of
15+.
The gang gathers at the Kurabashi Pier at 10 p.m. If the characters can get there first, they
can conceal themselves. Each character’s Hide/Evade skill check should be compared to a single
Awareness/ Notice skill check on the part of the gang as a whole to see if that character is
spotted.
If the players are really having trouble deciding what to do next, one of the characters spots
a, gang member on a motorcycle. The kid tries to lose them but crashes his bike, seriously
injuring one leg. The characters can use either their Interrogation or Intimidate skills to bully the
whereabouts of the gang out of the kid, or can try Persuasion & Fast Talk, perhaps using the
promise of medical aid as an incentive. In either case the difficulty number is IO.
 Tonight, Shiro and Hitoshi are going to try to outdo each other in a contest to see who will
“win” Kinuko as his girlfriend. The stunts are to be performed on the Yamaha Kamikaze. In
honor of the bike’s name, each rider ties a white cloth around his forehead before setting out to
do his stunts, and burns incense in his helmet. They take turns until one loses the contest.
Kinuko doesn’t approve of the contest, but if she protests, the gang’s socbo, Toshizo, may
toss her out of Musha Bashiri. She watches from the sidelines, furious at being treated like a
contest prize. After stealing the bike, she expected to be treated as an equal of the boys in the
gang. Now she is somewhat disillusioned but is still fiercely loyal to her new “family.”
Before the adventure begins, the gamemaster should decide in advance what stunts Shiro and
Hitoshi will perform, then roll each gangers’ Motorcycle skill checks to see if he succeed. The
results should be noted, then described at a realistic pace when the story reaches this point.
The stunts are carried out at anywhere from 100 to 150 kmh (within maximum maneuvering
speed). A skill check missed by 1-6 is a skid, from which the ganger is automatically deemed to
recover. A skill ,check missed by 7+ is a crash. Both bike and rider take 1d10 points of damage
per 30 kmh increment of speed (rounded up). As soon as either the bike is destroyed (loses 20
SDP) or one of the contestants is critically wounded the contest ends.
The contest will be especially dramatic if the loser is mortally injured and dies as the result of
a crash. If this happens, Kinuko rushes down to embrace the fallen rider, only to be yanked back
by the angry winner. A fist fight breaks out between Kinuko and the victor, while the gang
members cheer. The boys urge him to “show your girlfriend who’s boss,” while a handful of the
bolder girls (those with their own bikes) cheer Kinuko on.
If any of the characters has won the trust of the gang and been invited to perform motorcycle
stunts these take place before the contest between Shiro and Hitoshi. The gamemaster should use
the rules for Maneuver Rolls, and for Losing and Regaining Control of a Vehicle from Solo of
Fortune, The character can either use his or her own bike, or borrow one from a gang member on
a Persuasion & Fast Talk skill check of 15+.

PARTY CRASHERS
The characters are likely going to have to wait until the contest is over before trying to grab
either Kinuko or the Yamaha Kamikaze. The full gang is in attendance this evening (all 50 of
them), and any obvert attempt to interfere with the evening’s proceedings is cause for the
characters to be attacked.
At some point in the evening, the “party” at the Kurabashi Pier is crashed. Ideally this should
occur just after the contest between Shiro and Hitoshi, when Kinuko and the victor are fighting,
but the gamemaster may need to adjust the timing depending upon the player characters’ actions.
An armored AV-4 (SP 40) swoops low over the harbor, angling toward the pier. As soon as it
touches down, six men leap out of the assault vehicle. Four of them threaten the gangers with
assault weapons to keep them back, while the other two drag the Kamikaze inside the AV-4. All
six then leap back inside the AV-4, which jets away. Unless there is serious opposition, the
whole operation takes less than two minutes.
The men in the AV-4 are hired guns in the employ of a Japanese automotive firm. Their
objective is to capture the Yamaha Kamikaze no matter how damaged it might be. They don’t
care who they kill in the process. Fortunately, the gangers know when they’re outgunned, and
don’t try to fight back. They have no idea who these goons are, but they respect a show of force.
The player characters, however, may want to start something…
 Hired Thugs
Int 6 Ref 7 Cool 7 Tech 6
Luck 5 Attr 4 MA 7 Emp 7
Body 8 Save 8 BTM -3

Skills: Special Ability: Combat Sense +6. Athletics +6; Awarehess/Notice +5i Basic Tech
+2; Brawling +6; Education +3; Handgun +6; Intimidate +6; Melee +5; Rifle +6; Strength Feat
+4.

Cyber: Neural processor with smartgun link; cyberoptic with targeting scope, image
enhancement, low lite, and anti-dazzle; skin weave.

Equipment: Kevlar T-shirt (SP 10); Towa Type 99 assault rifle. (Towa Type 99 Assault
Rifle: Type RIF; WA +1; Con N; Avail P; Dmg 5d6 (5.56 mm); #Shots 35; ROF 30; Rel ST;
Range 400 m.)

TALKING TO THE SEKIGUCHIS

If the characters succeed in subduing Kinuko and dragging her away from her gang, she
swears at them. “Father hired you to do this, didn’t he? He didn’t care about me, until I stole the
bike from his lab. That’s what he really wants, isn’t it? The Kamikaze. He’s afraid I’ll sell it to
another motorcycle company.”
If Kinuko’s capture comes after the stunt riding contest between Shiro and Hitoshi and the
attack of the hired thugs in the AV-4, Kinuko is badly shaken and ready to talk. She tells
the characters all about how she stole the bike from the lab that it is a secret concept bike” that
was due to be unveiled soon. All she knows about the bike’s design is that it’s very quiet and
very fast.
If the characters display any sympathy whatsoever, Kinuko confides in them the reason why
she ran away, telling them all about her mother’s suicide and her father’s extreme disapproval of
what was (prior to her joining Musha Bashiri) a relatively harmless teenage rebellion.
Should the characters return Kinuko to her home, her father is visibly disappointed. “And the
motorcycle?” he asks. “Where is it?” He orders the characters to immediately resume their
search for the bike, virtually ignoring his daughter. Within a few hours, Kinuko will have run
away again and rejoined her gang.
As soon as the characters tell him about the AV-4 attack, Naotomo correctly concluding that
the Kamikaze has fallen into a rival corporations’ hands. He immediately calls the characters off
the search, telling them, “all is hopeless now.” He pays them their fees and sends them on their
way. If the characters have yet to bring Kinuko home, Naotomo tells them to end that search as
well. “it is getting too dangerous,” he says. “I fear for her safety. Hiring people to search for her
was a mistake. I will do it myself.”
If the characters ask what was so special about the bike, or inquire as to why an armed team
in an AV-4 would want to grab it, Naotomo admits that its a concept motorcycle. He says he is
sworn to secrecy on the details of its design.
Basically, Naotomo says whatever he must to brush the characters off. His next action is to
immediately sell all of his shares in YICS.
 RETURN OF THE GOONS
The day after the characters have been dismissed by Naotomo, the AV-4 makes a second
surprise landing. Its objective this time is the capture of one or more of the characters. The game
master should time the attack so that it occurs when the characters are in a thinly-populated part
of the city, preferably under cover of darkness.
The same set of six hired thugs performs this raid. They shoot only if the characters resist the
objective is to capture one or more of them alive. The victims are forced into the AV-4,
blindfolded, and tied up. A few minutes after the AV-4 takes off, the characters are injected with
a drug (truth serum). Each must make a Resist Torture/Drugs skill check of 25+ to avoid it taking
effect. Otherwise, they must answer every question put to them truthfully.
The thugs question the characters, beginning by asking what corporation they are working
for. “Are you with Ford-Mazda? Mitsubishi? Kawasaki? No? Then what corporation are you
working for?”
They next ask about the chatacters’ connections with Musha Bashiri and Kinuko Sekiguchi.
“We know she stole the motorcycle,” they say. “Did you help her do it?”
They also keep asking the characters the same two questions over and over: “Where is the
battery? What have you done with it?”
Unless they have hacked into the YICS files, the characters will have no idea what the thugs
are talking about and will probably say so. The game master should remind characters that they
cannot lie.
A few hours later, the AV-4 lands and the characters are tossed out. Their bonds have been
untied but their blindfolds are still in place. As they tear them off, they see the AV-4 rising into
the sky. After a moment or two it disappears behind the Tokyo skyline.

PUTTING THE PIECES TOGETHER

The characters may want to try hacking their way into Yamaha International Cybercycle
Systems’ computer files to learn more about the Kamikaze. A netrunner can hack into the YICS
system with an ease that should be suspicious (on an Interface roll of 10+) and find “secret” files
on the bike that describe a revolutionary design feature: an enormously powerful, lightweight
micro-battery with an operational lifetime of a century. This information is false; the file was
planted here by Naotomo for rival automotive corporations to find in a (highly successful) effort
to drive YICS shares up. He will erase it a short time later.
If the Interface skill check was 20+, the netrunner notices an interesting anomaly The file,
which purports to be an ongoing record of work on the bike, was last updated and saved one day
after the Kamikaze was stolen. Tests were supposedly performed on the micro-battery that day.
(If the character specifically asks for the date of the file, the game master should reveal it.)
Another source of information is the Tokyo scream sheets. A story in the automotive section
notes that YICS is working on a project that will “revolutionize the transportation industry.” The
topsecret design feature, expected to be a gold mine for the company, will be incorporated into a
motorcycle that YICS has recently developed. The article coyly notes that details of the project
have not yet been released, but that the motorcycle is to be called the Kamikaze “a name that
only hints at the storm this product will cause upon its release.”
The latter quote is attributed to YICS research and development manager Naotomo
Sekiguchi, who made the comment at an impromptu press conference. The article notes the date
of the press conference it was held two days after the bike was stolen.
 A quick look at the business section of the scream sheet shows that YICS shares took off like
a rocket one day after this press conference. They were heavily traded on the Tokyo stock
exchange.
Naotomo Sekiguchi has accounts at the Bank of Tokyo (the characters will learn this when
he pays them; the transaction on their credit sticks records the funds as coming from this bank).
A netninner can hack into the read-balance-only portion of the bank!s accounts files on an
Interface skill check of 15+. Once Naotomo dumps the shares, his account jumps by several
million yen (hundreds of thousands of Eurodollars). The money was transferred from Shimoda
Stock Brokers Inc.
Whether the characters follow up on Sekiguchis scam and how they decide to go about it is
up to the players. Perhaps theyll decide to make him pay for the way he treated his daughter... or
maybe they’ll try to blackmail him into sharing his windfall.

ROLE-PLAYING A GANGER
Each time the characters interact with one of the Musha Bashiri gang members, the game
master should strive to make the ganger an individual. The following three tables can be used to
provide a ganger with a quick history. The tables can also be used by players who choose a gang
member character (in Japan or elsewhere). They augment the Lifepath provided in the
Cyberpunk 2020 game.

Reactions of your family (roll 1d10):

1) They think joining a gang was a stupid mistake. But they still love you. They keep
nagging at you to leave the gang and think you should see the family psychiatrist.
2) They think the gang corrupted you. They’ll do everything in their power to get those
bastards.
3) They couldn’t care less about the gang, or about you.
4) You’re the black sheep of the family. Your name isn’t spoken at family gatherings.
5) Your gang connections are a valuable asset that keeps them in money, weapons and drugs.
6) They don’t know what’s become of you, but have hired a private investigator to find out.
7) What reaction? Your whole family is involved in the gang.
8) You’re the biggest disappointment of their lives. They mourn you as if you were dead.
9) They’re terrified of you. If you show your face around home, they’ll probably call the
cops.
10) Family? What family? You haven’t heard from them or made any effort to contact them
in years.

How you view your gang (roll 1d10):

1) They’re the coolest people around and you’re proud to be part of the gang.
2) You regret ever having joined. Being part of a gang is a good way to get killed. But
backing out now would be more dangerous than staying in.
3) Being in a gang is just as boring as everything else. You stick with it because you can’t
think of anything better to do.
4) The gang members are the only people who ever cared for you. You love them like a
family.
5) The gang is your lifeline. It provides everything you need: drugs, money, sex.
 6) These people are crazy, but they’re a lot of fun. Besides, you like hanging out with
people who have the guts to take a few risks.
7) You’re terrified of your fellow gang members. You know that if you quit, you’re dead
meat.
8) The gang is the fast track to the big time and you’re glad you joined.
9) You’re somewhat disillusioned by the gang, but you’re in this relationship for better or
for worse.
10) Wow! Do these guys ever know how to party!

Why you joined the gang (roll 1d10):

1) You were bored and gangs seemed exciting. They also wear great clothes.
2) Your best friend was in a gang and talked you into it. But now s/he’s dead.
3) You dropped out of school and had nothing better to do. ught
4) Your parents ignored you and you so attention elsewhere.
5) You needed to support Your drug habit and the gang provided easy access to the
pharmaceuticals you crave.
6) Someone dared you to and now it’s too late to turn back.
7) You were forced to join the gang or else they would kill someone you loved (or would kill
you).
8) You thought it was a quick road to easy money.
9) You were in love with a gang member.
10) You like to party and the gang listens to great music.

SHADOWRUN CONVERSION NOTES

Ride the Divine Wind can be converted into a Shadowrun adventure with very few changes.
Here are the statistics for the characters and vehicles it contains:

Characters
For the major characters, use the following Archetypesi page numbers refer to the
Shadowrun II rulebook, unless otherwise specified. (Note: Many of these characters require
Vehicle Control Rigs. Add Vehicle Control Rig 1, and decrease the Essence listed in the
Archetype by 10).

Kinuko Sekiguchi: Corporate Secretary (p.205).

Naotomo Sekiguchi: Mr. Johnson (p.210).
Toshizo Koyanagi / Shiro Toyomura / Hitoshi Yamada: Gang Boss (p.207).
Other Musha Bashiri: Gang Member (p.57).
Hired Thugs: Bodyguard (p.49) x5; Combat Mage (Combat orientation) (p.50) x1.
Note that, in Shadowrun, the Japanese culture is highly xenophobic when it comes to
kawaruhito (“changed people” ) that is, metahumans. Members of “respectable society” – the
Sekiguchis, for example – will all be human. There may be some metahumans among the
gangers, but not many.
 The Yamaha Kamikaze
This resembles a Yamaha Rapier, but with even more extreme lines, and a flashy custom
paint job. It has no hardpoints or firmpoints installed. Unlike the Rapier, it can only be controlled
via a Vehicle Control Rig.
Handling: 3 Speed: 70/2 10 Body: 1
Armor: 0 Sig: 2 Pilot: 2 Cost: n/a